Plunder

Chapter 19: Chapter 19 Setting the Trap Chapter 19: Chapter 19 Setting the Trap The voice was both shrill and thin; Qiao En found it somewhat familiar.

But she was drowned out by the crowd of men around her, the noise by her ears was deafening, and she couldn’t hear very clearly for a moment.

“Fuck, another pretty lady’s come.”

The leader’s eyes gleamed with lust, and the other men followed, jeering.

“This one’s even better, I wonder what she’ll be like in bed?”

The men burst into laughter.

Amid their laughter, An Kexin strode over with a fierce air.

She was still wearing the same beige, Chanel-style suit, her figure curvaceous.

Already tall, her high heels accentuated her height further, causing her waist to sway alluringly as she walked.

The soft charm she emitted from within, contrasting sharply with the fierce look on her face, created a striking disparity.

Fiercely, seductively.

Distinctive and mesmerizing.

“Secretary Qiao, don’t be afraid. I’ve called Second Brother, and he will be here any moment.”

An Kexin grabbed Qiao En’s wrist, pulling her to her side.

Qiao En was profoundly shocked.

She wasn’t familiar with An Kexin; there was no reason for her to help her.

Yet now, she appeared in the hospital alone, ready to risk her life for Qiao En.

Qiao En, having weathered many storms, knew how to face adversity; she wasn’t afraid of these men, despite their bluster.

But An Kexin was different; though her demeanor was bold, her hand clutching Qiao En’s was shaking uncontrollably.

“Miss An, I’m fine, you should hurry and leave.”

Qiao En was pushing An Kexin, urging her to go.

Debts can be repaid, but favors are harder to return.

What’s more, Qiao En might not be able to pay back the favor she owed to An Kexin.

“Secretary Qiao, I can’t leave you behind.”

An Kexin’s voice trembled badly, but she insisted on staying.

Qiao En didn’t know whether An Kexin was genuinely concerned or just putting on an act.

But regardless, she did not intend to bear this debt of gratitude.

“Miss An, it’s dangerous here; you go first.”

Qiao En continued pushing, but before An Kexin could leave, the men surrounded them.

“Beauty, you’ve already come; why not have some fun with us brothers!”

The bold leader was spouting sleazy words, his hand already reaching for An Kexin’s face.

Her skin was as delicate as porcelain, easily marred by the slightest touch.

An Kexin, pale with fear, grabbed Qiao En and hid behind her.

“What… what do you want to do?”

She stammered, shivering.

The man laughed, a sleazy and vile laughter.

“Didn’t you want to stand up for her? Just accompany us for a couple of days, and I’ll extend her deadline for that high-interest loan by one more week.”

The man made his demand, his eyes nakedly roving over An Kexin’s chest.

Her figure was attractive; her curves pronounced, her chest rose and fell rhythmically, a sight worth watching.

An Kexin, belatedly realizing, quickly covered herself, “Secretary Qiao, just how much money do you owe them?”

Qiao En’s expression was grave, and her cold eyes, sharp as knives, exuded an intimidating chill.

“Let her go,” she commanded sharply.

The man sneered and leaned in, pointing at An Kexin, and said to Qiao En, “If you can pay the money now, then do it; if not, she’ll cover the debt. I’m counting to three. If you don’t have the money by then, she’s coming with me today!”

“1”
“2”
The man dragged out his count, and An Kexin’s grip on Qiao En’s arm tightened even more.

“3”
As the man reached three, he excitedly reached out to grab An Kexin.

But at that moment, a group of men in black suddenly emerged from the elevator.

They moved swiftly, made straight for the scene, and in no time, pinned the group of men to the ground.

Then, An Jinhua appeared.

He walked at the forefront, flanked by two bodyguards.

Tall and broad-shouldered, with a narrow waist and long legs. His high-end black business suit lent him an air of authority and mystery.

Backlit, Qiao En couldn’t see his face clearly.

He walked with a gust, exuding a cold aloofness that made one’s heart thump with unease.

In fact, Qiao En had seen An Jinhua before.

Three years ago, An Corporation collaborated on a project with Nanchen, and Zhou Jin’an was in charge. Qiao En had accompanied him to An Corporation a few times; back then, An Jinhua was only the vice president of the group.

Qiao En remembered that An Jinhua would always attend every project discussion meeting. He didn’t say much and seemed very amiable, but when he spoke, his words had a piercing effect.

The rumors in the business circle of Rong City described the second son of the An family as decisive in killing, a rare genius.

Qiao En had never had direct dealings with An Jinhua and didn’t know much about him personally.

But as soon as he appeared, a sense of oppression was felt instinctively, and the chaotic corridor suddenly fell silent.

“Second Brother,” An Kexin released Qiao En’s hand and cried as she flung herself toward An Jinhua.

“They bullied me.”

“Causing trouble again.”

An Jinhua pulled An Kexin towards him, with a gaze as deep as still water, closely examining her.

“I didn’t. It was them who made things difficult for Secretary Qiao.”

An Kexin directed her gaze towards Qiao En.

An Jinhua’s eagle-like eyes also shifted to Qiao En. His look was sharp, and before Qiao En could avert her gaze, she met his, her heart trembling.

“President An, hello.”

She greeted him politely.

An Jinhua didn’t remember her and nodded out of courtesy.

“Come home with me.”

He indulgently pinched An Kexin’s cheek and took her hand, ready to leave.

“Big brother, what about those people?”

An Jinhua’s eyes darkened. He gave a meaningful glance, and the group of men in black understood, starting to throw fierce punches and kicks at the others.

A violent scuffle sounded through the corridor.

It was dull and vicious.

Soon, those men lay on the ground, left with just enough energy to gasp for air.

Qiao En was close by and watched with horror.

An Jinhua acted with a strong hand, meting out violence with violence, indeed quick and decisive.

But… perhaps too cruel.

“Big brother, can you do me another favor?”

An Kexin drew close to An Jinhua, whispering a few words into his ear.

From some distance away, Qiao En couldn’t hear clearly.

But she saw An Jinhua’s sharp eyes scanning her again.

“How much money do you owe them?”

Realizing what he meant, Qiao En quickly responded, “President An, I can pay the money back, thank you for your and Miss An’s help.”

She didn’t want to owe An Kexin any favors, how could she afford to owe An Jinhua?

However, among those men lying on the ground, one with more courage spoke up for Qiao En.

“One million.”

The air seemed to freeze at that moment.

An Jinhua’s gaze darkened as he pulled out a checkbook, rapidly wrote a string of numbers, and handed it to a bodyguard.

Qiao En hurried to stop him, “President An, you don’t have to help me!”

But, An Jinhua paid her no mind.

The bodyguard threw the check on the ground, and the man quickly picked it up, leading his brothers to scramble away.

Through it all, An Jinhua didn’t utter a word, nor did he spare Qiao En a glance.

Qiao En’s heart instantly fell into an ice-cold cellar.

She bent over and bowed deeply to An Jinhua.

“Thank you, President An.”

An Kexin stepped forward, again taking Qiao En’s arm.

“Secretary Qiao, those people are like vampires. Make sure you don’t mess with them again.”

Qiao En raised her head to meet An Kexin’s gaze, which had returned to its usual state but felt colder than before.

“Are you coming or not?”

An Jinhua pulled out a cigarette from his pocket, about to light up, then noticed the no-smoking sign in the corridor. He frowned slightly, put away the cigarette, and urged An Kexin.

“Big brother, you go ahead, I’ll have a word with Secretary Qiao.”

An Jinhua didn’t linger and quickly headed towards the elevator.

Qiao En retracted her arm and thanked her again.

“Miss An, thank you and President An. I’ll repay the money as soon as possible.”

“Were you looking for Aunt Zhou to borrow money?”

An Kexin asked.

“Yes.”

Qiao En’s eyelids hung low as she nodded.

“In the future, don’t bother Aunt Zhou with things like this. Her health isn’t good, and the doctor has told her not to worry. Borrowing money is a minor matter; you can talk to me about it. Though I’m not flush with cash, I can still manage a hundred or two hundred thousand.”

Her offer sounded generous, but Qiao En had never considered borrowing money from her.

Today, An Kexin had impulsively stepped in and even brought reinforcements. Though Qiao En was grateful, she was more fearful.

An Kexin was so eager to lend her the money; how could it all be out of kindness?

It was like a pie falling from the sky that landed squarely on her head, knocking her into a huge pit.

From now on, the An siblings would be her creditors.

And Qiao En would be the fish on the chopping board.

An Kexin had played this game of borrowing a knife to kill and inviting the enemy into the urn with skill, making Qiao En feel utterly outclassed.

“Miss An, I’ll remember that.”

An Kexin went on, “You, your heart is higher than the heavens. You had a good job by An’s side, but you weren’t content and wanted to resign. Now you’re caught up in all these troubles. Have you thought about how you’ll solve them?”

Qiao En shook her head, “I’ll take it one step at a time.”

She wasn’t foolish enough to open up to An Kexin.

But An Kexin had already prepared a trap for her, waiting for her to fall into it.